Vauxhall lifetime guarantee scam

adamc260

Vauxhall warranties aren't worth the paper they're written on. You may have a warranty but if the dealership can NEVER rectify the issue.. what good is it!

My corsa developed quite a terrible clutch judder when you pulled away... after replacing the Clutch under warranty (which was many a battle on the phone) and it coming back within a week they eventually said 'oh it seems to be a characteristic of the car... theres no way we can fix that'. What idiotic company designs a car to judder VIOLENTLY when you pull away?

Flyboy152

thenudeone wrote: »

Nearly all of the other warranties I looked at were cheaper but all of them covered far fewer components, had more exclusions, and/or excluded consequential losses (so if a minor part failed and damaged the timing belt which wrecked your engine - tough!).

Could you suggest a better one?

As a member of the RAC, I can have a breakdown warranty that covers up to £2000 per claim. It would cost me £130 for a year. There is very little it doesn't cover.

Flyboy152

ukjoel wrote: »

Afraid your wrong. Work in the industry and until 2 weeks ago I would have said you were 100% right.

This warranty is different as its neither from manufacturer or dealer. This means they can make it non transferable and also can ensure the car is serviced at a franchised vauxhall dealer to keep it valid.

I'll take your word for it for now, at least until tomorrow when I do some in depth research on your claim. But I find it difficult that they are able to circumvent the anti-competition legislation. If the dealer doesn't supply the warranty and the manufacturer doesn't supply it, who does? I got the impression that the "inspection" was the hook to encourage the owner to have the car serviced at a main dealer or authorised repairer.

Vauxhalls strategy here is based on 2 things. The first is that nowone keeps a car more than 5 years so hence the warranty will expire when car is sold and secondly they will make so much money from servicing the car they can afford to cover the warranty.

The manufacturer does not make any more money from servicing at main dealers, than they do at any other repairers. In fact, they are more likely to make more money from independent repairers.

They already got stung once when trading standards told them to stop calling it a lifetime warranty as it wasnt (only 100k).

When did they do that? If they did, Vauxhall didn't listen.

Flyboy152

Kilty wrote: »

There are far more inexpensive warranties on the market that are not worth the paper they are written on.

Yes Auto Protect, I mean you.

If the £659 warranty in question is the Vauxhall NetworkQ Extended Warranty which is AFAIK underwritten by Vauxhall themselves and includes stuff like brake and clutch linings then it isn't as bad as it seems.

The RAC warranty seems to be quite comprehensive and doesn't appear to have any "wet Tuesday afternoon" exclusions.

Flyboy152

Here is the list of parts coverd by the RAC breakdown warranty:

7. Insured Parts

• Engine
All components are covered;
excluding exhaust valves, inlet and exhaust EGR Valves
and any failures caused by carbonisation, manifolds and
system, dual mass flywheels. Timing belts are excluded
where they have not been maintained or replaced in
accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.
• Casings
Cylinder block, gearbox and axle, if they have been
damaged by a breakdown of one of the Insured Parts.
• Engine Cooling System
Water pump, thermostat, heater matrix, electric fan
motor/sensor, viscous fan coupling, radiator.
• Gearbox
All internal parts are covered.
• Clutch
Centre plate, pressure plate, clutch fork/arm, master
cylinder, slave cylinder;
excluding damage due to wear and tear and burntout
parts.
• Differential and Drive System (front/rear)
All internal parts are covered.
• Turbo Supercharger
Turbo Supercharger is covered when fitted as standard
by the Manufacturer.
• Propshaft
Propshaft, universal joints and bearings.
• Steering
Rack and pinion, steering box, idler box, power steering
rack/ram and pump, pressure pipes, reservoir,
steering column.
• Suspension
Shock absorbers, coil, springs, upper and lower
wishbones, McPherson struts, suspension arms, antiroll
bar, self-levelling units and reservoir, pump and
regulator valves, seals, displacer, hydro-pneumatic
system.
• Brakes
Master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake callipers, servo,
brake pumps, brake limiter valve, ABS computer/
sensors/pumps;
excluding damage due to wear and tear of friction surfaces.
• Electrics
Starter/solenoid, alternator, regulator, coil, distributor,
electronic ignition module, heater fan motor, indicator
interrupter unit, instrument gauges, centralised locking
solenoids/pumps, switches and relays, sensors, horn,
cruise control system.
• Electronic Control Unit and Ignition System
Ignition system, fuel system;
excluding catalytic converters.

All_eBayed_Out

Please don't buy vauxhall. My relation bought a new 'BBC Watchdog' style vauxhall car. From a year old it would break down every 3-4 weeks and this went on until he got rid, over a year and a half later. The car was yo-yo'ed in and out of the dealership. The head office bods were even sent down at one point and they didnt know what was wrong with it. It would break down on Roundabouts etc whereever, whenever. As they explained... "Everything" had been replaced on it except for the fuel tank (which they were going to do). Unfortunately agreed to a part exchanged and got a cr*p deal for "IT" on a new car. No letter of apology was ever sent about all the hassles. Never any offer of assistance to get it to the garage and back home. Never any refund dispite pressing for this. 2 weeks after getting rid of it an old man phoned my relation and said he had seen the car he wanted to buy being advertised by vauxhall but wondered what the reason for sale was by the previous owner. This is what they are like. The dont give a dogz dollop. The car should have gone to the crusher.

thenudeone

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Here is the list of parts coverd by the RAC breakdown warranty:.............

There is no obvious link for a quote or the policy terms on the RAC website [perhaps they only sell it through dealers?] but if it is this policy
(http://media.rac.co.uk/pdf/6071-rac-warranty.pdf) I see two problems
1) it doesn't cover consequential losses
2) it names dozens of covered components but there are thousands more that it doesn't cover

Flyboy152

thenudeone wrote: »

There is no obvious link for a quote or the policy terms on the RAC website [perhaps they only sell it through dealers?] but if it is this policy
(http://media.rac.co.uk/pdf/6071-rac-warranty.pdf) I see two problems
1) it doesn't cover consequential losses

How many standard off the shelf warranties cover consequential losses?

2) it names dozens of covered components but there are thousands more that it doesn't cover

Do you really want the list of thousands of parts it doesn't cover?

bigjl

In the same way as not eating yellow snow, don't buy a yellow Zafira.

Won't say anymore as Flyboy things I am lying due to him not being able to find evidence on Google to back up what I know to be facts.

The biggest mistake Vuxhall ever made was buying in diesel engines from Fiat, though not heard too many bads things about the 1.3 engine, but the 1.9 CDTi is a pig, though this is almost certainly due to the DPF.

And lets not forget what is covered by a mechanical breakdown insurance policy?

Whatever the company concerned cant find a loophole to get out of, which isn't much to be honest.

I don't know anybody in the trade that would spend any money on a Mechanical Breakdown Insurance type warranty, and as all after market warranties are exactly that then I see no point in paying good money for something, though it does make selling cars on easier.

Manufactuers warranties are the only ones that actually provide a decent level of coverage, though they are staring to get very good at spotting loopholes these days aswell.

The worst example of this is Skoda and their avoidance of taking responsibility for the issues with the 3 cylinder petrol engine, have heard many horror stories withthis engine, only in the newer version though, not sure what differences there are between the two engines, but Skoda are being very obstructive with paying for repairs.

Imagine what am aftermarket warranty company would make of such a claim in a few years time.

thenudeone

Flyboy152 wrote: »

How many standard off the shelf warranties cover consequential losses?

Sorry - I should have said - consequential damage. The answer is - some do.

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Do you really want the list of thousands of parts it doesn't cover?

No, but without knowing in advance which parts might fail, I would rather have a policy that covers all mechanical and electrical components with some exceptions, than a list of specific covered components.